Alright
by Caricature of a Witch
Summary: Glinda is alone at night, having graduated from Shiz six months ago, and now wondering about Elphaba and whether or not she might be alright right now... until she finds out. Threeshot, musicalverse mostly, I think.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: hey it's me again ;) It has been pointed out to me that my stories, no matter whether they might be good or terrible, sort of have a lack of plot, and as I read them I notice woah, that's true! So... here's a plot :D Well, not much of a plot yet, but there's more chapters to come. It'll be a threeshot^^ Hey, my first story with a plot... and at the same time my first story with more than one chapter! Someone proud of me?^^_

**Disclaimer: **Close your eyes. Imagine Wicked and everything belonging to it. Books, Musicals, people, stories, pictures, maps, everything. (What couldn't be related to Wicked in some way? I mean, my mum talks about how she can see the gear-wheels turn inside my head - metaphorically - and I think of the Time Dragon Clock and the stage setting of Wicked. Duh.) Okay. You see it? Of course you do. Now imagine it's all mine.

...

Finished your laughing flash? Great. So... everybody knows it's not mine now. And I'll go and cry somewhere in a corner. Don't mind me.

* * *

**Alright**

Snow was falling outside her window, the balcony had turned into a white blanket, thickening with every tiny fragile snowflake. A few years ago she might have been sitting in class, more or less listening to whatever Dr. Dillamond or someone else would have tried to teach them. She'd have yearned to go outside, to watch Crope and Tibbett engaged in a snowball fight with Fiyero and Avaric and maybe Boq. Shenshen and Pfannee would have been there, too, and Milla, and some others, watching and laughing and throwing a few icy balls themselves.

And Glinda would have smiled and thought it was fun, and still missed someone for the picture to be perfect, someone who would have been sitting inside, studying and occasionally glaring at the sky for throwing the frozen stuff down.

Elphaba.

It had been half a year since Glinda had graduated from Shiz and thus left Crage Hall, and it had been more than one and a half year since she'd last seen the awkward green girl. She hadn't known it was possible to miss someone that much. She certainly never had experienced it before, and had not thought this could change. But it had. And she hated it.

A small droplet of water fell on her cheek, and she angrily lifted her hand to her face and wiped the tear off. She wouldn't want her to cry. Would she? Suddenly Glinda wasn't sure. He believed Elphaba wouldn't want it, but whenever did Elphaba what people thought? Maybe she would be happy because of it. Not about Glinda crying, not like this. But perhaps she would find it nice to know that Glinda actually cared she was gone. Perhaps.

Elphaba herself didn't cry. Never. She hadn't cried when she arrived and everyone immediately made fun of her. No tears when she realized the hat Glinda – Galinda then – had given her was nothing but a cruel joke. She had refused to cry when a letter from her father arrived, telling her she needn't come home for Lurlinemas because her room was needed for some friends of Nessarose. Oh, she could still see that scene clearly, though... They had been friends for merely a few months then, and while she herself had been squealing happily upon noticing the letter her parents had sent, even she had noticed how Elphaba grew unnaturally quiet after reading her own mail.

„What is it, Elphie?", she'd asked, and Elphaba had shown a sad attempt at a smile.

„Nothing, why do you ask?" But she had been persistent, and pushed her roomie until she told her at least this one little detail. Glinda never knew what else the letter said, but she had somehow understood that there had to be even more to it, more than Elphaba would let on – as if this tiny peace of information wasn't horrendible enough already!

„Oh Elphie... I'm so sorry for you! That's just awful!" She had not known what she could say, so instead she settled on embracing her friend tightly, ignoring how she stiffened at first.

„It's alright, Galinda," she said at last. „Honestly, don't worry about it. I'll just stay here, it makes no difference to me." And, at her doubtful expression: „I am fine! Don't give me that look!"

She'd given in. „Okay, Elphie. I'm sorry. But – if there's anything, I mean, if there ever is something you might want to talk about – come to me, will you? If you're ever not feeling quite alright... I'll be there for you. Okay?" She had averted her gaze, studied the floor instead, feeling awkward. Elphaba had looked at her strangely. A few seconds passed before she gave an answer.

„Okay, Galinda... I'll remember that." A pause. „Thank you."

Glinda herself did not feel alright now. She had always had Elphie to talk to if she was sad, too, and now... well, no Elphie wasn't there. Still, Glinda couldn't help but wonder... was Elphaba feeling alright just now...?


	2. Chapter 2

A sudden noise caused her to flinch, and she nearly fell off of the chair she'd been sitting on. Well, sleeping on was more like it – she had actually fallen asleep staring out of the window. It might have been mortifying, were anybody around to notice, but as it was, she was alone, so she didn't really mind drifting off like that. What she did mind, on the other hand, was being alone in the first place...

A sigh escaped her lips as she wearily opened her eyes, which had remained decidedly closed until this moment. The sigh turned into a strangled scream as she noticed the dark figure standing on the balcony of the dorm she now occupied alone. How did they get there? Her room was five floors up, and there wasn't even a fire escape – quite a lack if it came to security matters, but Glinda secretly was glad to know that no one could get at her in her sleep via balcony. She had not expected someone to prove her wrong.

Before she could open her mouth to produce a real scream this time though, the huddled figure moved, weakly lifting their hand and softly knocking at the glass door. Glinda's breath hitched in her throat, and for a moment she was sure she'd simply die from lack of air right on the spot. The knuckles hitting the transparent surface was green, and the other hand was clutching a broom in a death grip.

The suffocating feeling lifted after less than five seconds, but it still seemed like an eternity. An eternity during which the green figure outside bumped her hand against the door once again, her face hidden beneath the shadows of a hood, her body covered in a thick black coat to prevent snow from getting at her. Finally Glinda could move, and instantly she dashed forward, her hands shaking so much they were hardly able to open the simple lock. But when this was done, she threw the door open, stepping back. The figure interpreted the invitation correctly and stumbled inside, nearly falling in the progress. It was only now that Glinda realized the red stain on the green fingers.

Lowering her hood, Elphaba hesitantly forced her eyes to focus on Glinda. Her vision swam a bit too much as that she would have been able to see her clearly, but the look on her face appeared to be one of concern, and she slightly wondered about the reason for this. She soon stopped pondering, though, since it made her head hurt.  
„Elphie?" Glinda's voice was barely above a whisper, but Elphaba heard her. She did not answer. Glinda knew who she was.  
„Oh Elphie, I thought – I thought I'd never see you again! What are you doing here, what if you get caught? I won't – Elphie!" A girlish, startled shriek escaped her, and suddenly she sounded like Galinda again. Elphaba swayed slightly and had to steady herself by clutching Glinda's shoulder.  
„You once said I could come to you if I ever don't feel alright... I-I don't feel alright, Glinda. I feel – I-I feel..." The sentence was left at that as Elphaba staggered to the floor. Glinda tried to catch her, but she wasn't fast enough. A pained moan came out of parting green lips as Elphaba feebly attempted to push herself off of the floor again, Glinda supporting her with fear in her eyes. Still, she kept silent until she had gingerly led the exhausted woman over to her bed where she helped her sit down and remove her heavy – and wet – cloak. More crimson surfaced, and Glinda did her best not to gasp at the sight. „Elphie," she breathed fearfully, „what happened? Are you – ha-have you-" She couldn't finish her sentence, she didn't dare to take a closer look. She didn't want to find what she dreaded – a wound, from a knife, a gun, anything, her Elphie hurt, dying perhaps, no, she couldn't – it couldn't be...

Elphaba snorted, a bitter, hateful sound that failed to mask the pain, the despair. Glinda could hear it in her voice, she could see it in her eyes, and she felt more afraid than ever before in her life.  
„It's not mine." Elphaba seemed to heave up the words and spit them out. „Don't you worry about me." She closed her eyes. Glinda couldn't believe her.  
„You come in here, bloodstained, all but collapsing into my arms, and you tell me not to worry about you?" she half screeched, half whispered. „Are you kidding me?! Don't give me your 'I'm fine' attitude! You clearly are not!"  
Elphaba winced and drew her knees to her chest, grimacing. „I didn't say I was fine." She shook her head, which made her dizzy. She could smell the blood – it was everywhere. Her hands, her arms, her chest. Her face. Everywhere. The stench made her feel sick. What had she done?  
Glinda seemed to wait for more specific information. When she got none, she sighed sadly and sat herself down next to Elphaba, who scuttled away a bit as if she was afraid. „Elphie." A small white hand covered a trembling green one. „You didn't come to me just in order to be all mysterious and silent, did you? Please... talk to me. Just this one time." Unconsciously, she cast a look at the chest on the opposite wall. Elphie's chest, sort of. She had kept many of Elphaba's belongings when she had returned to Shiz alone – books, and oils, and some of her frocks. Her three nightdresses. She pretended it made her feel as if Elphie was still with her, her roommate, just a few steps away from her, but it really did not work. Elphaba's papers, and feathers, and a notebook filled with her tiny handwriting lay scattered on the chest's surface, but they were dusty. It looked dead. Elphaba followed her look, and swallowed thickly.  
„I'm sorry." She stared at her old things. „Oz, I'm so sorry." And, startling Glinda, she burst into tears.

She ignored the burning, didn't even try to wipe the hot liquid away. It was Glinda who gently put her hands on Elphaba's cheeks, catching the tears, preventing them from doing any more harm, but Elphaba didn't care. The tears didn't hurt compared to the pain that was killing her heart. She deserved that tiny bit of physical pain – that and so much more. She was still waiting for her punishment.  
„Tell me," Glinda pleaded when Elphaba had more or less composed herself. „I don't care they call you a Wicked Witch, I don't care everyone else would run away screaming. I've been waiting for you for half a year... you can tell me everything, Elphaba." She nearly choked on her own tears, strictly held at bay. „You're my friend, Elphie... trust me. Please."

Elphaba closed her eyes. Trust. Trust Glinda. Could she? Did it matter?  
„I trust you," she murmured. „But you can't trust me. I'm... wicked." Glinda shook her head, protesting. Elphaba let out a hollow laugh as her stomach turned. „I'm wicked, Glinda." She stared into nothingness, remembering the last hours. And then she broke.  
„I didn't want it to happen," she choked, „I didn't! I never did! But – I – I just wanted to free those Animals, they, they were i-in cages and freezing and – the-they had cut their fur, and their tails, for – for experiments or something, and I wanted – I wanted to wait until nobody was there anymore and – free them-" She felt bile rising in her throat, and swallowed it down. Glinda's hand still covered her own, the blood smearing on her porcelain skin. Elphaba had to look away. „They – they were scared, and this – this Tiger, she didn't want me to – to come near, but I needed to get at the lock, but she – she yelled at me, and the others got nervous too – and one of – one of the men came to see wh-what was happening, and he – he didn't see me at first-" A strangled sob escaped her lips, and she pressed both her hands in front of her mouth, her next words barely intelligible. „He screamed at them to stop, and then he t-took a whip, and lashed at them, at everyone he could reach, and there was this Fox Cub and it was crying and I – I don't know what I did, I don't know how it happened! I just – he was there, and I, I snapped, I was ju-just so angry... and then I had this – this dagger or whatever it was, he had it in his belt and then I had it and – and – the n-next thing I know... He was lying on the ground, and he wouldn't move, and there was... there was this red stuff, all over him... I killed him, Glinda," she whispered and Glinda didn't know what to say. „I killed a man... a living, feeling being, however nasty or undeserving to live he might have been... it wasn't my place to decide about that. And yet, I killed him..."

The silence lasted forever, every minute a whole universe emerging and destroying itself again. The world started turning again when Elphaba suddenly jumped up and bolted to the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Glinda remained on the floor next to the bed, frozen in shock. Her head seemed to be emptied of all thought. Elphaba had killed someone. Elphie had killed a human being. Her best friend, whom she now could hear retching violently in the next room – a murderer. She wondered why she wasn't scared at all. She was completely numb.

Without thinking, she stood up and mechanically walked over to the bathroom door which was still wide open because Elphaba had not taken the time to close and lock it behind her. Glinda could see the scrawny figure, kneeling in front of the toilet, gripping its etches so hard her knuckles turned white. Her stomach didn't hold any food anymore – for a few seconds, Glinda wondered if it had held anything at all – but dry heavings still shook the green witch's body, her hands trembling and her face contorted with pain.

It took Elphaba quite a while until she had calmed down a bit, and only then she noticed Glinda's hands, one holding back her hair which had long escaped its knot, the other rubbing soothing circles on her back. She flinched slightly at the touch and continued staring at the wall, unable to look at her friend.

„I'm sorry," she whispered, once again. „I shouldn't have come. Now I've just succeeded in scaring you as well as everyone else... and dammit, maybe they're right to be scared."  
But she didn't look like she meant it, Glinda thought. She looked broken, and desperate, and, above all, scared herself. More scared than Glinda could ever be of her.  
„I'm not scared," Glinda whispered. She tried to help her friend to her feet, but Elphaba refused, pulling away and curling up on the cold floor.

„I'm not scared," she repeated, in a stronger voice, following the green Witch and once again embracing her shaking form. „I could never be scared of you. It wasn't your fault, Elphie."  
The bitter cackle Elphie uttered at that sent shivers down her spine. „Not my fault," she panted, shaking her head. „Not my fault. I killed him, Galinda!" Glinda didn't correct her this one time. „How in Oz can it not be my fault?!"  
„It's not." She held her tight, crying herself. „You've always blamed yourself for everything... but you had no control over this. And if anything, it's his own fault. He hurt innocent beings... and he got what he deserved, didn't he?"

Hearing this, Elphaba lifted her head and stared at Glinda, her mouth open in shock. „H-How – how can you say that?" she sputtered, not believing her ears. Glinda shrugged, a defiant expression on her face.  
„It's true," she murmured. „Anyone who does this and manages to scare you like this..." She trailed off. She didn't want to sound cruel now. Elphaba didn't need cruelty now.

„I'm not scared," snapped Elphaba, but her voice shook. „What ever would I be scared of?"  
„Yourself," Glinda mumbled. Elphaba froze. „You're scared of yourself, of what you did, and of what you might do in the future... You're scared of becoming what they say you are. Aren't you?"

For a long time, Elphaba didn't respond at all, she barely even breathed. Then she offered a tiny nod, and broke down all over again. Glinda held her throughout the time, as Elphaba desperately clung to her for dear life, as Glinda was the only one who could keep her sane. Perhaps she was.

Elphaba was hardly 19 years old yet, but as Glinda observed her, she appeared to be much older. Her eyes had a haunted – and, at the same time, haunting – look, like she'd seen too much of the world already. She looked tired, and sick, like someone who had been broken by fate. Glinda swallowed.

„I'm glad you came," she said when Elphaba could speak again. She softly let her finger trail over the angry welts on her cheeks, and Elphaba shivered. „I'm glad you remembered my promise..."  
„So am I." A weak smile played on the edges of her dark mouth. She might have looked scary – blood smeared all over her green skin, especially her hands and fingers, hair and clothes disshevelled and shaggy, tear trails on her face and yet smiling, but Glinda could see nobody but her Elphie, her friend, and Elphie could never be scary at all.

* * *

„You can't come with me." Elphaba shook her head as she walked over to the window again. Glinda tried to hold her back, but she shook her off.  
„Why? Why not? I'm so sick of this... I don't want to be alone anymore."  
„Neither do I," sighed Elphaba and took her broom, turning to Glinda and smiling softly. „But I won't be. And you won't be alone either. I don't think our paths will ever cross again in this life... but I know you'll always be with me." She put a hand to her chest and pressed it, right on her heart.

Glinda held back her tears though she didn't know why. „Elphaba," she asked gently, „are you... alright?"  
Elphaba smiled. „Yes," she replied, „I think I am."

She opened the window, and then she took off, and the broom clattered to the floor behind her, and she wasn't scared as she fell.

* * *

_That's it then. Don't kill me. You're allowed to try and kill me with words though. :D_


End file.
